Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G02—OPTICS
  • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
  • G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
  • G02B6/44—Mechanical structures for providing tensile strength and external protection for fibres, e.g. optical transmission cables
  • G02B6/4439—Auxiliary devices
  • G02B6/444—Systems or boxes with surplus lengths
  • G02B6/4441—Boxes
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G02—OPTICS
  • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
  • G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
  • G02B6/44—Mechanical structures for providing tensile strength and external protection for fibres, e.g. optical transmission cables
  • G02B6/4439—Auxiliary devices
  • G02B6/444—Systems or boxes with surplus lengths
  • G02B6/4452—Distribution frames
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G02—OPTICS
  • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
  • G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
  • G02B6/24—Coupling light guides
  • G02B6/36—Mechanical coupling means
  • G02B6/38—Mechanical coupling means having fibre to fibre mating means
  • G02B6/3807—Dismountable connectors, i.e. comprising plugs
  • G02B6/3897—Connectors fixed to housings, casing, frames or circuit boards

Definitions

• the present invention is directed toward a fiber management component having a fiber support member and a detachable cover, and, more specifically, toward a fiber management component having a fiber support member configured to support at least one loop of fiber in a fan-out space and a detachable cover for protecting the at least one loop of fiber.
• a known type of optical fiber management component is connectable to a trunk cable and includes a plurality of connectors having female receptacles. Multiple optical fibers from the trunk cable are fanned out inside the component and individually connected to the connectors. Male connectors can be plugged into the female receptacles to form a connection between a fiber optic cable attached to the male connector and one of the fibers of the trunk cable.
• a modular fiber optic management component that may be mounted on a panel in a rack is sold under the trade name I NSTAPATCH by the assignee of the present application.
• This component is essentially a metal case in which a fan-out assembly is mounted.
• the component assembly is a fixture constructed to hold a fan- out cable in a desired configuration with one end in a position to connect to a trunk cable and with the individual optical fibers ready to be connected to connectors. The fixture keeps the fibers organized and substantially prevents them from exceeding their minimum bend radius. Fan-out assemblies may be tested before they are incorporated into an assembly such as the fiber management component.
• the management component also includes a housing supporting a plurality of connectors and one or more multiple path optical adapters.
• the fan-out assembly is mounted in the housing, and ends of the fan-out cables are connected to the multiple path optical adapters and to the individual connectors.
• a suitable cover is then added to the housing to protect the fan- out assembly inside, and the component is tested again to help ensure that the assembly process has not damaged the delicate optical fibers.
• the component is then mounted in a panel in a rack, and one or more optical fiber trunk lines are attached to the multiple path optical adapters.
• Three such conventional management components mounted in a panel which is mountable in a conventional rack are illustrated in Figure 8.
• the minimum bend radius of the optical fibers in the management component limits the minimum width of conventional management components, and for many products, only three management components can be mounted in the width of a conventional rack. It would therefore be desirable to provide an optical fiber management component having a reduced width without exceeding the minimum bend radius of the optical fibers fanned out therein.
• a first embodiment of which comprises a fiber management device that includes a first member and a second member.
• the first member includes a floor, a first end, a second end and first and second sides, the first end includes at least one holder for securing at least one optical fiber adapter to the first member, and the second end includes a frame holding a plurality of fiber optic connectors.
• the first side includes a first fiber guide structure and the second side includes a second fiber guide structure.
• a first optical adapter is in the at least one holder.
• the first optical adapter includes a first plurality of optical fibers extending therefrom and forming a first loop on the floor, which first loop contacts the first fiber guide structure and the second fiber guide structure.
• the first plurality of fibers is connected to a first subset of the plurality of fiber optic connectors.
• the second member includes a housing releasably connected to the first member that defines with the first member an enclosure for the first loop.
• Another aspect of the invention comprises a fiber management device that includes a housing and an optical fiber fan-out support removably mounted to the housing.
• the optical fiber fan-out support includes a floor having first and second ends and first and second sides.
• the first end includes at least one holder for securing a fan- out cable to the first member, and the second end includes a frame supporting a plurality of fiber optic connectors.
• First and second guide elements extend along the first and second sides, and the optical fiber fan-out support includes first and second first latch elements.
• the housing includes first and second second latch elements configured to releasably engage the first and second first latch elements of the optical fiber fan-out support and to define with the optical fiber fan-out support a substantially enclosed fan-out space between the at least one holder and the plurality of fiber optic connectors.
• a further aspect of the invention comprises a fiber management device that includes a first member and a second member.
• the first member includes a floor, a first end, a second end, first and second sides, and a fiber management arrangement for maintaining a position of an optical fiber.
• the first end includes at least one holder configured to secure a fiber optic cable to the first member, and the second end includes a frame holding a plurality of fiber optic connectors.
• the second member is releasably connected to the first member and defines with the first member a substantially enclosed optical fiber fan-out space between the at least one holder and the frame.
• Figure 1 is a perspective view of a fiber management component according to an embodiment of the present invention.
• Figure 2 is an exploded view of the fiber management component of
• Figure 1 which includes a support element, a frame holding a plurality of connectors, and a housing.
• Figure 3 is a perspective view of the support element of Figure 2.
• Figure 4 is a front elevational view of the housing of Figure 2.
• Figure 5 is a side elevational view of the housing of Figure 2.
• Figure 6 is a perspective view of the frame and connectors and support element of Figure 2 with a first fan-out cable attached to the support element and to the connectors.
• Figure 7 is a perspective view of the frame and connectors and support element of Figure 2 with first and second fan-out cables attached to the support element and to the connectors.
• Figure 8 is a perspective view of four fiber management components according to an embodiment of the present invention mounted in a panel.
• Figure 9 is a perspective view of three conventional fiber management components mounted in a conventional panel.
• lateral, “left”, “right” and the like may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. It will be understood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is inverted, elements described as “under” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “over” the other elements or features. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the descriptors of relative spatial relationships used herein interpreted accordingly.
• FIG. 1 illustrates a fiber management component 10
• Figure 2 shows the elements of component 10 in exploded form.
• Component 10 includes a housing 12 having a top wall 14 having an interior surface 16 (best seen in Figure 4), a bottom wall 18 having an interior surface 20 and first and second side walls 22.
• the housing 12 also includes an end wall 24 having first and second apertures 26, C- shaped guide elements 27 adjacent each of the first and second apertures 26, and an open end 28 having an end edge 30.
• Open end 28 provides access to housing interior 32.
• End edge 30 includes an upper lip 31 and a lower lip 33, and lower lip 33 extends from housing 12 a greater distance than upper lip 31.
• First and second side walls 22 include latch receivers 34 near end edge 30.
• Component 10 also includes a support element 36, illustrated separate from housing 12 in Figure 3, which support element 36 has a first end 38, a second end 40, first and second side walls 42 and a floor 44 having an interior edge 46 located inwardly of second end 40 of support element 36.
• Two holders 48 comprising upstanding walls with openings 50 are provided at first end 38 for securing cables or adapters as described hereinafter to support element 36, and side walls 42 each include a tab 52 extending over floor 44.
• Floor 44 further includes a plurality of separator tabs 54 extending from floor 44 near first end 38, a post 56 projecting from a central portion of floor 44 and a plurality of stops 58 along interior edge 46 of floor 44.
• First and second side walls 42 each include terminal portions 60 which extend beyond interior edge 46 of floor 44, and each terminal portion 60 is provided with a latch element 62 configured to cooperate with latch receivers 34 of housing 12.
• the terminal portions 60 each also include a retainer element 64.
• Component 10 further includes a frame 68 holding a first row 70 and a second row 72 of fiber optic connectors 74 which include female receptacles 75 into which male fiber optic connectors (not illustrated) can be inserted.
• Frame 68 also includes a slot 76 configured to cooperate with retainer element 64 of support element 36 to secure frame 68 to support element 36, and a first stop 77 extends along the top of frame 68 and a second stop (not illustrated) generally similar to first stop 77 extends along a corresponding portion of the bottom of frame 68.
• a front piece 78 is connectable to frame 68, and first stop 77 extends further from front piece 78 than the second stop.
• frame 68 is placed between the terminal portions 60 of the first and second sidewalls 42 of support 36 until a portion of frame 68 abuts interior edge 46 of floor 44 and stops 58 and retainer element 64 of support member 36 engages slot 76 of frame 68.
• Multipath optical adapters 80 are then mounted in openings 50 of holders 48, and a first fiber optic fan-out cable 82 and second fiber optic fan-out cable 84, illustrated in Figures 6 and 7, are connected between the multipath optical adapters 80 and the connectors 74 as described below.
• Each fiber optic fan-out cable comprises a connector 86 housing a plurality of individual optical fibers 88 which extend from connector 86 and are connectable to fiber optic connectors 74.
• First fan-out cable connector 82 is connected to one of the multipath optical adapters 80, and the individual optical fibers 88 are formed in a first loop 90 on floor 44 which first loop 90 extends beneath the tab 52 of one of first and second side walls 42, toward connectors 74, possible contacting one or more of stops 58, beneath the tab 52 of the other of first and second side walls 42, around or between a first one of separator tabs 54 and to a first subset of the connectors 74, the connectors in first row 70 of frame 68, for example.
• the fibers 88 of first fan-out cable 82 are coiled in a clockwise direction as viewed from above.
• the second fan-out cable 84 is connected between one of the multipath optical adapters 80 and a second subset of the connectors 74 in frame 68, the connectors in the second row 72, for example.
• Second fan-out cable 84 forms a second loop 92 running in a counterclockwise direction, and a portion of the second loop 92 is separated from a nearby portion of first loop 90 by one of the separator tabs 54.
• Support 36 thus performs some of the functions of the fan-out assemblies that were mountable inside housings in conventional fiber management structures.
• Guide structures formed by first and second side walls 42, together with tabs 52, stops 58 and separator tabs 54 organize the first and second loops of fiber 90, 92 in a given space that is large enough to maintain at least a minimum bend radius of the fibers 88.
• first end 38 of support 36 is inserted through open end 28 of housing 12 along interior surface 20 of bottom wall 18 until first lip 31 of housing 12 engages first stop 77 on frame 68 and second lip 33 engages the second stop on frame 68 and latch elements 62 on support 36 engage latch receivers 34 on sidewalls 22 of housing 12. Because first lip 31 is shorter than second lip 33 and first stop 77 extends further from front piece 78 than the second stop, support 36 can only be mounted in housing 12 in the correct orientation; in the incorrect orientation, the longer second lip 33 will engage the wider first stop 77 and prevent support 36 from fully entering and latching to housing 12.
• guides 27 help guide multipath adapters 80 into the first and second openings 26.
• Post 56 engages interior surfaced 16 of top wall 14 to provide support for the top wall 14 and make component 10 more resistant to forces against the top wall 14 and bottom wall 18.
• multipath adapters 80 in holders 48 project through apertures 26 in housing end wall 24 so that one end of each multipath adapter 80 is accessible from outside housing 12 thereby allowing trunk cables 94 to be connected to the fiber management component 10.
• the above construction may reduce the number of testing steps required for the component because the fan-out cables 82 and 84 are installed on support element 36 and can be tested at that stage instead of testing after being assembled in a fan-out assembly and a second time after being mounted in a fiber management component.
• the width of the housing can be reduced while maintaining the minimum bend radius of the optical fibers 88. This size reduction is sufficient to allow four fiber management components 10 to be arranged in a panel 96 of a given width as illustrated in Figure 8 which given width would only have been adequate to accommodate three conventional fiber management components 98 in a panel 100 as illustrated in Figure 9.

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• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Optics & Photonics (AREA)
• Light Guides In General And Applications Therefor (AREA)
• Mechanical Coupling Of Light Guides (AREA)

Priority Applications (6)

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Publications (1)

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Family Applications (1)

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Cited By (2)

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Citations (4)

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• 2010
  • 2010-02-17 US US12/706,986 patent/US8422846B2/en active Active
  • 2010-08-05 CA CA2770068A patent/CA2770068C/en active Active
  • 2010-08-05 WO PCT/US2010/044509 patent/WO2011019574A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2010-08-05 AU AU2010282782A patent/AU2010282782B9/en active Active
  • 2010-08-05 MX MX2012001760A patent/MX2012001760A/es active IP Right Grant
  • 2010-08-05 BR BR112012003146A patent/BR112012003146A2/pt not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2010-08-05 CN CN2010800437460A patent/CN102549467A/zh active Pending
  • 2010-08-05 EP EP10742682.7A patent/EP2464999B1/en active Active

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